Cleaning device



Oct. 18 1927.

J. E. TWITCHELL CLEANING DEVICE Filed July 10, 1925 lit) UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JAIVIES E. TWI'ICHELL, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

The invention relat CLEANING DEVICE.

Application filed July 10, 1925.

es to cleaning devices and more especially to attachments adapted to beassociated with a water supply conduit such, for example, as a hose ornozzle, and to be utilized ordinarily washed by in washing articles suchas are the application of wa ter and the use of sponges, brushes or thelike. While the device is of general application for washing or cleaningit is of especial :u utility for washing automobiles in which operationit is customary to flow water upon the surfaces to be cleaned andsimultaneously rub the surfaces with move mud or grease.

The invention, in scribed, comprises, in vice adapted for attacl of ahose or like water hose nozzle, and holdi be secured he re; idiiyremovable silient connections,

a rag or sponge to rethe embodiment debrief, a clamping de mient to theextremity supply conduit or to a ng devices adapted to to said clampingdevice so as to tl'icrefrom, as by rcand arranged to upport cleaning orrubbing means such as a sponge or brush.

In the accompanyn 1g drawings ill ustratinn; one embodiment of theinvention, Fig. 1

is a plan View, partly broken away, showing a sponge held in operativerelation to a hose nozzle.

Fig. 2 i, a detail view of a clamping 'device.

Fig, 3 is a detailed view of a holding dcviceadapted to engage a spongeor the like,

second holding device brush in proper rela clamping device.

awings, 5 indicates a which may be otthe character of an ordinary gardenhoF'c. (i in dicates a hose nozzle any usual or suitable supply water orother erably at low pressure which may also he f character adapted tocleaning liquid, pref- The clamping device employed and indicated at 7is of substantially U-form. It is made preferably of sheet metal andcoma connecting curved portion 9. tion of this curved portion clamp isformed with outwardly so as lengthwise of the clan Lion of each rib issin for a correspondingl approximately 1 )arallel wings 8, 8, and At the]llllC and the wings he ribs 10, 10, extending to provide internalgrooves The central poriped to provide a scat Y shaped part on theSerial No. 42,805.

holding devices employed in connection with the clamp. This seat may beconstituted by the hollow interior of an outwardly projecting portion11, 11, at the center of the rib or by any other formation adapted toretain the holding devices in operative relation to the clamp. The wings8, 8, are apertured to permit passage therethrough of a screw or bolt 12having thereon a nut 13 by which the clamp may be contracted and therebysecured to the shank of the hose nozzle 6, as shown in Fig. 1, oradjacent to the open end of the hose if the latter is not provided witha nozzle.

A body of rubbing material, such as the sponge 14, is secured to theclamp in position to receive the water or cleaning liquid delivered fromthe end of the nozzle or hose. The securing means comprises a holder 15which may be formed of a piece of heavy spring Wire bent toapproximately U-shape. The ends are preferably sharpened so that theymay be inserted through the body of the sponge or other materialemployed for rubbing. Adjacent to the ends the holder is formed to fitthe seats 11, 11", of the cl mp 7, as by bending the wire outwardly asindicated at 16, 16. The closed end of the U may be covered withprotecting means, such as a piece of rubber tubing 17, so that the metalwill not engage the surface that is being cleaned.

In the use of this device the pointed ends of the holder may be forcedthrough the sponge, or the like, and then, by slightly compressing theholder, the ends may be inserted into the clamp and the gripping orretaining means 16, 16', positioned in engagement with the seats 11, 11,the resilience of the holder as. sting in retaining the parts inengagement. The clamp is then secured to the hose or nozzle in suchposition that the water discharged from the latter will fiow through orover the sponge. The user may then proceed with the washing operation,the supply of water being adjusted as desired. The clean water will thusbe supplied directly to the parts being rubbed, thus serving to removedirt from the surfaces and also from the rubbing material. A shield 18may be provided to protect the hand of the user, which shield maycomprise a piece of sheet rubber of suitable rigidity with a centralaperture of slightly less diameter than the hose so that the shield maybe positioned upon the hose or nozzle in the rear of the washing deviceand be retained in such position by its inherent resilience.

A second form of holder and rubbing means are shown in Fig. 4. Theholder 20 in this instance comprises a plurality of strands of wiretwisted together and holding between the strands the bristles 21, thusforming; a brush of a well-known type. The

1 wire is bent to approximately a U shape,

similarly to the holder 15, and the two ends are formed, as at 22, 22,to provide engag ing or retaining means adapted to cooperate with seatsin the clamp, for example, the seats 11, 11.

The use of this form of holder and rubbing means is similar to thatalready described, the clamp and brush being so posi tioned withreference to the hose or nozzle that the water willflow through thebrush. This form of device is of especial utility in cleaning parts,such as automobile wheels, fenders, etc., where a stiffer body ofrubbing material is required than for the upper parts of the automobilebody.

lVhile I have disclosed herein specific embodiments of the invention itwill be understood that variations may be made by one skilled in the artand therefore I do not wish to be limited to the specific detailsdescribed except as required by the language of the appended elaims inview of the prior art.

I claim:

1. A clamp for supporting rubbing material upon a hose or nozzlecomprising a plate of sheet metal bent to approximately U form andhaving outwardly extending ribs upon opposite sides thereof, said ribsbeing formed to provide retaining means whereby a holder for saidrubbing material maybe detaehably supported, and means for contractingsaid clamp upon a hose or nozzle.

2. Means for supporting rubbing material in operative relation to thedischarge opening of a hose or nozzle comprising a U shaped clamp formedof sheet metal having longitudinal internal grooves or channels uponopposite sides thereof, with depressions intermediate the ends of thegrooves to provide seats, and a holder for rubbing n'iaterial comprisinga resilient loop having its ends shaped to conform to said grooves andseats and adapted to be held therein by the expansive tendency of saidloop.

The combination with a water supply conduit of a support mounted thereonprovided with seats, a body of rubbing material, and means for retainingsaid body in position to receive water from said conduit comprising aholder engaging said body and having spring portions fitting in saidseats, said seats having sufficient opening to permit free removaltherefrom of said spring portions by bending movement of the letter,said spring portions being formed and tensioned to force themselves intoresilient engagement with said seats and constituting the sole retainingmeans whereby said holder is maintained detachably in position on saidsupport.

l. The combination with a support adapted to he fixed to a water supplyconduit, said support having seats opening inwardly, a body of rubbingmaterial and a holder for said material comprising a sub stantiallyU-shaped loop of spring wire provided with outwardly extendingprojections adjacent to its extremities engaged in said seats, saidseats shaped to permit re moval of said projections therefrom bymovement of said extremities toward each other, said loop being formedwith reater distance between its ends than the distance between saidseats to force said projections resiliently into said seats and therebyretain said holder on said support.

5. The combination with a sponge of a holder therefor comprising asubstantially U-shaped loop of spring wire havingits ends sharpened andthe arms of the loop inserted through said sponge, and means forsecuring said holder upon a water supply conduit in such position as tosupply water to said sponge. 4

6. Structure as set forth in claim 5, said loop having a covering ofnon-abrasive material over the exposed portion of the loop.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES E. TWITCITELL.

